Description
Object description
British NCO served with 3rd Bn Bn, Loyal North Lancashire Regt in GB, 1913; served on Western Front, 1914; POW in Germany, 1914-1918; served with Criminal Investigation Branch, Air Ministry in GB, ca 1942-1960
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Lancashire, 1895-1913: family circumstances in Morecambe; conditions and lifestyle during period in Lancaster Workhouse, 1903-1908; work in cotton mill at Brindle, ca 1909-1912; stories of work as steeplejack's labourer, ca 1913-1914. Aspects of training with G Coy, 3rd Bn, Loyal North Lancashire Regt at Fulwood Barracks, Preston and Colwyn Bay, 1/1913-7/1913: enlistment as special reservist; story of soldier seeking discharge; barrack room; pay; rifle training; period at Colwyn Bay Camp including tactical exercises, story of deaf postman shot by guard and drinking session.
REEL 2 Period as reservist and work as steeplejack, 1913-1914. Mobilisation and initial period at Felixstowe, 8/1914: reactions to call up; duties during period as lance corporal with Military Police; reasons for rejection of posting as musketry instructor. Journey out with draft to join B Coy, 1st Bn, LNLR in Marne area, 8/1914: seasickness acting as ration corporal during voyage out; train journey; situation on arrival. Recollections of operations in Marne and Aisne areas, 9/1914: duties as rations party corporal; close escape from German shell; temporary trenches during advance from Marne; mutilated British corpse; story of soldier killed foraging for potatoes; food rations; story of casualties caused by German shell on route march in reserve lines; destruction of rum ration for eating emergency rations; latrines; nature as quiet sector; move to Ypres area.
REEL 3 Recollections of operations in Ypres area, 10/1914: story of assisting wounded soldier and consequently missing attack in Langemarke sector; rejoining unit in makeshift trench incorporating German corpses; story of preventing looting from corpses during burial party digging shallow grave; fatigue; digging trenches, 30/10/1914; German attack and story of being encircled and taken prisoner, 31/10/1914; initial treatment as POW; conditions during cattle truck railway journey to Germany. Aspects of conditions and lifestyle Gustov POW Camp, Mecklenberg, ca 11/1914-4/1915: failure of German attempt to recruit Irish soldiers; food; lice problem; fainting with fatigue; Belgian cooks; tent accommodation; latrines; lice problem; daily routine and food rations; casualties amongst Russian POWs; POW pay.
REEL 4 Period at Flensburg and various other POW Camps, 1915-1916: escaped British POWs; lice problem; minimal camp uniform; working parties on farm land; Red Cross parcel; makeshift cigarettes; hut accommodation; working parties crushing tins from parcels; mellodium playing; German search to find malingerers from working parties; loss of weight; German policy of checking parcels and punishment of POWs breaking rules; conversational topics and question of progress of war; absence of recreations; story of swimming in canal during working party; camp uniform. Recollections of periods with working party on various farms in Hanover area, 1916: stable billet; farm duties; failed attempt to escape, ca 5/1916.
REEL 5 Continues: failed attempt to escape and consequent period of solitary confinement, ca 5/1916; story of German policeman preventing group of POWs from lighting fire and subsequent period of solitary confinement for arguing; question of learning German and relationship with German civilians; stories of malingering in farm duties and hospitalisation for 'rheumatism' after medical inspection by German doctor; boxing activities; move to work with working party of Belgian and Russian POWs on dairy farm; story of drinking sessions after discovery of wine cellar; 12/1917; relationship with Belgian and Russian POWs and refusal of preferential treatment.
REEL 6 Continues: question of learning German, relationship with German civilians and refusal of preferential treatment; stories of stealing to supplement food; loss of weight; question of advantages of being on farm working parties; relationship with German farmers; move to work on arable farm with Russian POW; story of failed escape with intention of returning to previous farm and subsequent imprisonment; relationship with German farmer and improved food on move to German farm with butchery business. Period with working party in iron foundry in Hamburg, ca 4/1918-11/1918: national composition of POWs; duties operating machine and deliberate mistakes; repatriated German supervisor.
REEL 7 Continues: slackness of repatriated German supervisor; conditions; hospitalisation with dysentery attack; reaction to news of Armistice, 12/11/1918. Effects of dysentery during period at Gustov, Mecklenberg, 11/1918-12/1918. Return to GB, 12/1918: state of health; prior dysentery attack, 10/1914. Post-war career: continued problems with dysentery; marriage, 1919; period of work on railways and road making, 1920; recruitment; story of policing political disturbance illustrating work as policemen in Liverpool, 1920-1927; reliance on parish relief and ex-POW fund during unemployment after being invalided out Police, 1927.
REEL 8 Continues: work as licensee of Winter Gardens Ballroom and Café, Garston, ca 1928-1931; work as attendant at baths and artificial sun baths, 1931-1942; fire watching duties during German air raids, 1940-1942; aspects of work in artificial sun baths and circumstances of rejection of promotion offer; resignation, 1942. Period as policeman on gate duties at Speke Airport, ca 1942. Period as detective sergeant with Special Investigation Branch, Air Ministry based at RAF Heywood, RAF Dumfries and RAF Burtonwood, ca 1942-1960: jurisdiction; stories illustrating success in investigating various cases of theft.
REEL 9 Continues: stories illustrating success in investigating various cases of stolen stores; role at courts martial; question of false report of theft; refusal of permission to resign; stories illustrating success in investigating various cases of stolen goods.
REEL 10 Continues: stories illustrating success in investigating various cases of theft; investigation of murder of woman employed at RAF Heywood, ca 1947. Subsequent career.